Mike Lilja
Dayton, MN

A founding member of HHF, Mike first planted hazels in 2008 after a course on permaculture design inspired him to create a perennial cropping system. He continues to experiment with permaculture, growing hazelnuts among asparagus, raspberries, and more. In his free time, you can find Mike taking photos, enjoying the night sky, and traveling. His favorite hazelnut dish is fresh asparagus roasted in hazelnut oil.
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Pam Saunders
Viroqua, WI

Pam started farming as a young adult raising dairy cows. An early advocate for the organic farming movement, she spent her career with Organic Valley expanding the market for humanely raised meat and dairy. She and her partner, Tom, now run a nature retreat where she grows hazels among rows of oaks and native prairie. Pam also works in HHF's kitchen, making our delicious products and shipping them off to you! Her favorite hazelnut dish is a cheesecake with a hazelnut crust.
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Paul Ronsheim
Barneveld, WI

Paul initially planted hazels to preserve his eroding hilltop. He wanted a crop that would produce food while holding the land and building soil health. Thus, his farm Blue Mound Hazelnuts was born. A retired materials scientist, he now applies his expertise to food production, pressing the hazelnut oil and milling hazelnut flour. His favorite way to use hazelnuts is simply frying an egg in hazelnut oil. 

Brad Niemcek
Gays Mills, WI

Brad's winding career tackling entrepreneurial pursuits led him to planting hazelnuts and becoming HHF's first general manager. His interest in agriculture started with keeping bees to impress his grandchildren and grew from there. His favorite hazelnut dish is salmon filets grilled in hazelnut oil with hazelnuts sprinkled on top.

Tom Klemp
Boscobel, WI

After retiring from a career as a drug store owner and painting contractor, Tom got curious about hazelnuts and planted a grove of 120 bushes, which he now tends with his wife, Merry. Tom's favorite part of growing hazelnuts is the harvest scavenger hunt: finding hidden clusters at each new angle. His favorite hazelnut dish is carrots roasted in a glaze made from hazelnut oil and honey from his bees. 

Mary Hovel
La Crosse, WI

Mary grows hazels on her farm M&S Enterprises, named for her pups Maggie and Squeaky (the best critter control around). A dentist by day, she keeps her community's teeth clean as well as their water! Mary first planted hazels in 2011, inspired by her brother and looking for a way to spend more time outside. She is now one of AHC's biggest suppliers, with 1000 plants! 

Dave Bohnhoff
Plymouth, WI

Dave has a gut feeling he eats more hazelnuts than anyone in Wisconsin! He started growing hazels himself in 2010 to diversify his apple orchard, Happy Roots Farm. A professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, he uses his expertise in agricultural engineering to develop methods for harvesting and processing hazelnuts. In fact, Dave built most of the machines AHC uses to sort nuts!

Bob Meyer
Elgin, MN

Bob is 68 years old and walks and works on the same grounds as his great grandfather. He raises chestnuts, Asian pears, northern Michigan pecans, 20 varieties of apples, paw paws, contender peaches, and about 800 hazels. When he's not on the farm, you can find him designing and building wooden-geared clocks. After a 2013 cancer diagnosis, he started planting hazels – the "toughest plant on earth" – to celebrate each new year of life. Check out Bob's farm and clocks here!

Dan Forsythe and Becky Wagner
Welch, MN

Becky and Dan planted 100 hazelnut bushes in 2013 after learning about them from a permaculture instructor. That number has slowly increased as they've fallen in love with the diversity hazels bring to the farm. Dan and Becky also grow cherries, garlic, potatoes, leeks, and onions. Their favorite way to eat hazelnuts is lightly roasted, right out of the bag. In their free time, they can be found biking, hiking, and nordic skiing.